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FAQ
Who are the Bnei Noach?
Non-Jews who (1) reject all idolatrous ideas and accept the kingship of the One Hashem, (2) accept the priesthood of the Jewish people as the guardians and teachers of Torah, and (3) commit to the seven mitzvot revealed to Noah are called Noachides or "Children of Noah." The Rambam's, Rav Moshe ben Maimon (Maimonides), commentary in The Laws of Kings 8:11 reads: "Anyone who accepts upon himself the fulfillment of these Seven Mitzvot [commandments] and is precise in their observance is considered one of the righteous among the nations and will merit a share in the World to Come."
Do you have to be a Jew to go to heaven?
No. Any righteous person - Jew or not - has a place in the World to Come. Non-Jews are commanded to follow the seven Noachide Laws.
What are the Seven Noachide Laws?
Prohibition of Idolatry
Prohibition of Blasphemy
Prohibition of Theft
Prohibition of Murder
Prohibition of Failing to Establish Courts of Justice
Prohibition of Animal Cruelty
May B'nei Noach keep any of the 613 mitzvot given to the Jews?
B'nei Noach are permitted to keep any of the 613 mitzvot given to the Jews with these exceptions:
1) Observing Shabbat in the same manner as the Jews;
2) Observing the Jewish holy days in the same manner as the Jews;
3) Studying the parts of the Mishnah/Talmud that are not related to the B'nei Noach mitzvot;
4) Writing a Torah Scroll;
5) Receiving an aliyah;
6) Making, writing, or wearing tefillin
What is the Torah?
The Torah - also known as the Five Book of Moses or the Written Torah - are the first five books of the Tanach (Hebrew Bible). The Torah covers the creation of the earth and the first humans, the Great Flood and the covenant with mankind, the enslavement of and Exodus from the Hebrews in Mitzraim, giving of the Torah (Written and Oral), renewal of Covenant given to Avraham, festivals established, wandering through the desert, the Tabernacle Ark, and Priestly duties, and the death of Moshe Rabbenu. A Sefer Torah is the Torah Scroll that is read on the Sabbath.
What is the Tanach?
The Tanach is the Hebrew Bible. It contains the Torah, Nevi'im, and Ketuvim. The Torah (תורה) covers the creation of the earth and the first humans, the Great Flood and the covenant with the gentiles, the enslavement of and Exodus from the Hebrews in Egypt, giving of the Torah (Written and Oral), renewal of Covenant given to Avraham, festivals established, wandering through the desert, the Tabernacle Ark, Priestly duties, and the death of Moshe Rabbenu. The Nevi'im (נביאים) covers the time period from the death of Moshe Rabbenu through the Babylonian exile (ca.1200BCE-587BCE) and contains 19 books. The Ketuvim (כתובם) covers the period after the return from the Babylonian exile (6th century BCE) and contains 12 books.
Who wrote the Tanach?
Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy - Moses
Joshua - Joshua (Phineas wrote the last few verses regarding Joshua's death)
Judges - Samuel
Samuel - Samuel (through I Samuel 25:1), Gad, Nathan
Kings - Jeremiah
Isaiah - School of King Hezekiah
Jeremiah - Jeremiah, Men of the Great Assembly
Ezekiel - Men of the Great Assembly
Twelve Prophets (Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi) - Men of the Great Assembly
Psalms - David (included Psalms by Adam, Abraham, and Moses)
Proverbs - Solomon
Job - Moses (or possibly Men of the Great Assembly)
Song of Songs - Solomon
Ruth - Samuel (or possibly Men of the Great Assembly)
Lamentations - Jeremiah
Ecclesiastes - Solomon
Esther - Men of the Great Assembly
Daniel - Men of the Great Assembly
Ezra - Ezra
Nehemiah - Ezra
Chronicles - Ezra (through II Chronicles 21:1), Nehemiah
What are the oldest manuscripts of the Tanach?
The Dead Sea Scrolls contain the oldes known manuscripts of the Tanach. Before the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls, the oldest Hebrew manuscripts of the Bible were Masoretic texts dating to 9th century. The biblical manuscripts found among the Dead Sea Scrolls push that date back to the 2nd century BCE. Before this discovery, the earliest extant manuscripts of the Old Testament were in Greek in manuscripts such as Codex Vaticanus and Codex Sinaiticus.
What is the Septuagint?
The Septuagint, (also known as the LXX) refers to the Koine Greek version of the Tanach, translated in stages between the 3rd and 1st centuries BCE in Alexandria. It is the oldest of several ancient translations of the Tanach into Greek. The word septuaginta means "seventy" in Latin and derives from a tradition that seventy (or seventy-two) Jewish scholars translated the Torah from Hebrew into Greek for Ptolemy II Philadelphus. Contraty to popular belief, the Jewish scholars only translated the Torah (Five Books of Moses) and not the entire Tanach. The remainder of the Tanach was translated by non-Jewish Greek scholars.
What is the Talmud?
The Talmud is made up of the Mishnah that was given to Moses at Mount Sinai and the Gemara which includes rabbinic arguments and teachings.
What is halachah?
Halachah is Jewish law. Halachah is derived from the Written Torah and the Mishnah.
What makes food kosher?
According to halachah (Jewish Law) there are three types of food - kosher, non-kosher, and pareve. Kosher food is any food that is determined to be kosher according to halachah (for example: milk, chicken, chocolate). Packaged kosher food is marked by a chesher mark showing that it has been approved by a rabbi as kosher. Unpackaged food is overseen by a rabbi to ensure a kosher standard. Non-kosher food is any food that is determined to be non-kosher according to halachah (for example: pork, cheeseburger). Pareve food is any food that is neither kosher nor non-kosher (for example: nuts, fresh vegetables).
Who will the Messiah be?
The Messiah (Moshiach in Hebrew) will be a human who is born as a direct descendent of King David through Judah and Solomon. He will be proceeded by Elijah who will announce his arrival and there will be an ingathering of Jews to Israel from all corners of the earth. Certain things will take place which the Messiah arrives, including:
1. Reestablishment of the Holy Temple;
2. World-wide peace;
3. The entire world will believe in Hashem;
4. Jews will be sought for spiritual guidance;
5. Death will cease and there will be a resurrection of the dead;
6. The enemy dead will be buried;
7. The Nations will help the Jews materially;
8. Each tribe of Israel will receive its inheritance;
9. Eternal joy and gladness will characterize the Jewish Nation;
10. The Egyptian River will run dry;
11. Trees will yield new fruit monthly in Israel;
12. The Messiah will be the perfect judge able to see beyond words and appearances;
13. The Messiah will be able to vanquish evil at a word;
14. The Messiah will be the king of an independent and recognized Israel;
15. The nations will recognize the wrongs they did to Israel;
16. Israel will be perfect in the practice of Torah;
17. All of Israel will be prophets; and
18. The Messiah will be universally recognized
According to Judaism, who is Satan?
HaSatan (the Satan - "the challenger") is an angel that works as a prosecutor and tempter of man. HaSatan has no free will (just like all the other angels) and may only do that which Hashem permits.
Why do some Bnei Noach and Jews leave the "o" out of G-d?
Judaism does not forbid the writing out of the Names of Hashem per se. However, Judaism does forbid taking the Names of Hashem in vain and erasing or defacing the Names of Hashem. Observant Jews do not write out the Names of Hashem in order to protect the Names from later being erased or defaced.
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